Snow is falling
by PenPusher4
Summary: AU...What REALLY happened in and after the graveyard scene...ErikChristine..kinda Angst with fluff


Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Phantom of the Opera...neither the Phantom, nor the Opera XD

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The snow was falling thick on his clothing and skin, but he didn´t seem to mind.

He _did _mind something, but of all the things on earth the cold and snow were the last.

The Phantom´s breathing was heavy and came out ragged; obviously, after the exhausting sword fight of death he just had held...and unfortunately lost.

Yet he was still living...which he somewhat regretted in the depths of his soul.

It made him angry that the other man had led him live, since now he had to deal with his future.

Living ment, that he had been still conscious enough to have seen the glances both other humans had been giving him, as he was lying there defenseless on the cold ground.

Especially the ones of Christine..

Living ment, that the power he had moments before was gone and the humilitation just about to begin...

No ! No, he didn´t want to live, if it was at this blonde man´s mercy !

He didn´t need pity; neither from him, nor from _her_ !

_Christine..._

_And I almost had her where I wanted her.._

_Which is over now ! _

_I won´t be able to look into her face again, ever ! ...Never again !_

_Never again..._

A silent tear ran down his cheek and immediately froze because of the coldness.

From one moment to the next his face hardened, the anger -that till now had boiled like lava in him - written all over his features, making him look even more dangerous and strange.

_I really don´t need her.._

_Why would I need someone like her ? A mere puppet; doing whatever she´s told, never having the thought to ask back ´why ?´ !_

_A mere puppet; nothing and worthless without some guidance..someone who plays with her and tells her what to do..._

_I surely don´t need such a woman !_

_A little creature, nothing more..That´s why she´s riding off with her Prince Charming; never going to wonder what _may have been

He slammed his fist next to him in the ground, releasing an unearthly cry.

_But NOTHING would have happened next, since she´s all gone now !_

_..Gone like everyone else in this despising world !_

_So she wants to be like everyone else ? So everyone else is what she gets...!_

_For now, she shall experience the full wrath of the Phantom of the Opera !_

_My wrath, that will haunt her even in her dreams and teach her a lesson of why they´re all so afraid of me !_

_Oh, Christine, you´re going to feel pain..much pain...so that you may take a glimpse of the pain I´m in right now myself..._

Soft footsteps in the snow diverted his mind from misery and hate for a moment.

He turned his head. Trying to recognize the figure through the curtain of swirling snow flakes, which was standing a few feets away from him next to the stone angels.

The Phantom´s breathing stopped for a second when he realized what his eyes were seeing.

_Christine ! But how ?- Why ?-_

After what seemed like minutes of just starring at each other from the distance, Christine began to close the gap between them with slow, careful steps.

As she got nearer, he was able to see the expression on her face, which was between thoughtful and calm.

At last she stood directly in front of his tossed down form.

His rage won over his curiosity; that was why he growled at her in a very low and dangerous voice;

"Hadn´t you enough ?! Couldn´t you bare the thought, to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the oh-so-famous Phantom of the Opera defeated and down one more time ?

Tell me, ..would it hinder you from sleeping in the arms of your Prince Charming that you´ve left out this chance to humilitate me once again ?!"

He saw her lips tremble slightly and nothing could have given him greater satisfaction.

"What now ? Are you going to cry ? Then you better cry loud !...Since we want your blonde savior to hear it, don´t we ? So he eventually has a reason to finish me off for good for making his little puppet cry ! ...You really surprise me, Christine..hadn´t imagined that you could change your opinion that fast..or even have one-"

"Stop it !!" She screamed at him, tears forming in her eyes; some already running down her face.

Surprising enough, it actually worked and he went silent and looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"So are you going to sit in the snow and rant about how bad your life is going on all day ??!

Are you quite finished with throwing sentences - which, by the way are very insulting and painful - around yourself ?

Are you willing to simply sit there and listen to what this so-called "puppet" has to say ?

Because_ I am_. I´m willing to tell the man - whom I once called Master and Angel - why I came back."

Silence laid itself over them, as he seemed to ponder over her words.

Christine´s heartbeat got slightly faster due to the anxiousness of the moment, not being sure what was to happen next...or if...What were her plans shouldn´t he not respond and simply ignore her ?

- She hadn´t any.

Then -to her great relief - he finally spoke, his face perfectly calm..in a contrast to his voice;

"Do you try to say with that, that I´m overexaggerating ? That my life isn´t as bad as ´´ I´m ranting about´´ ?! Do you really tell me from face to face that your life is _even more miserable _THAN MINE ??!"

Horror flashed in her eyes when she realized her mistake; though trying to apologize she saw that it was all in vain, as his rage had gotten the upper hand again and no words would be able to stop him.

"No ! - No, I just-"

In one movement he sprang to his feet and grabbed her by the wrists.

There was a somewhat deathly shine in his eyes as he spat at her between gritted teeth.

"You just wanted ´´what´´ !?"

Though being confronted by this threat of him, she managed to answer in a tiny voice;

"I just wanted to make you understand that just because something bad in your life happened, that it isn´t a reason to throw away the rest of it - and with that all the opportunity one might have had..." While she spoke, she gathered enough courage to look him fully into the eye.

She even held his gaze. His eyes darted over her face, searching for something she did not know. Adding she said;

"..Wanting to make you understand, that I know how you must be feeling. You have to know though, my mother died at my birth and then I lost my father when I was a child-"

Apparently it was the wrong thing to say, since he threw her on the cold ground with one roar of rage.

"You !" He pointed at her accusingly. She jerked, afraid, pressing herself in the snow to get away as far as possible.

"You,..you have _no_ - _not the slightest _- clue, do you understand ?! You can´t possibly imagine neither _how I feel _nor _how I think _! That is why I´m standing _here_ and you´re _on the ground_.."

He suddenly plunged down to her, grabbing her shoulders.

"I asked if you understood ?! Answer me ! ANSWER ME !!" He shook her violently, putting emphasize in his words.

"Ye- yes I do ! I do !"

He let out a deep breath, then desisted from holding her shoulders in a firm grip.

Again they both were wrapped in silence; this time however - instead of standing and looking at each other from the distance - they sat side by side in the snow, seemingly trying to avoid the other´s gaze.

"And you ?" She asked coldly after awhile.

"I ´´what´´ ?" His voice was somewhat hoarse from the shouting and because he was unprepeared to speak.

"Did you understand too ? Understand, what I was trying to tell you.."

His face darkened, yet he continued to stare away into the night instead of meeting her gaze.

"I don´t see where you´re getting at.."

"Oh, but I do...care to know ?" She wasn´t even giving him the chance to answer, continuing nontheless,

"All I-" She suddenly stopped. He wondered what was the matter, but couldn´t see it, since he still refused to look at her. When she spoke again, it was clear to hear that her voice and her mood too had changed. What had been cold with a hint of anger before, was now tearful, pleading, even a bit insecure. She simply sounded like there had been shed more than one silent tear.

"All I was trying to say was...that the glass can sometimes also be half-full..that,that- -..oh gosh I don´t know more of this damn examples ! -...that it´s a real pity that you´re so talented, yet not happy about your gifts..or at least not as happy as you could be..."

The Phantom raised his eyebrows at that, and turned his head slightly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he was confirmed. She had indeed been crying. The tracks of her tears - even one frozen drop - the proof of her true feelings.

"Just why can´t you understand ? I just want to help you, not be your enemy..I-"

She didn´t came further, as she was stopped.

The Phantom had turned around and hugged her; wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight as if the world depended on it.

At first she was shocked, but then relaxed in his sudden embrace.

"Christine.." He whispered with a tearful voice into her hair. "I´m so sorry..."

She felt the hot tears on her skin, more than she heard them. So she hugged him back; one soothing hand on his back, the other one one the back of his head, trying to calm him.

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Note: Reviews are much appreciated !...also a beta-reader ;)


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